Title: You Should Have Been Here Yesterday
Author: Jeremy J. Buirski
Size: 220mm x 150mm, 380 pages with colour photos
ISBN: 978-0-620-60761-5 (print)
YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE YESTERDAY is the life story of someone who has always been a bit out of the mainstream and has never ‘run with the herd’. Feeling trapped within four walls, Jeremy Buirski chose to be a seaman, even if for many years it barely brought in enough money to make a living. Some of it was extremely dangerous and by rights he shouldn’t even be alive today.
For eight years Jeremy (Jerry) Buirski was a fulltime commercial fisherman, wreck hunter and surfer around Africa’s southernmost point. He was also one of that very small and select band, the commercial freediving spearfisherman, probably one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. No wonder that, at the end of those years, he was reckoned to be the world freediver who had met with the most great white sharks underwater (see Shark Stories by Al J Venter).
Something that is not well known is that Jerry originally moved to Struisbaai to join a wreck hunting syndicate. He has a long list of marine qualifications, including being a Diver Scientist (rated to 60 m), and holds six small-craft skipper certificates. Some of the things he did, and writes about here, was being a deckhand on a commercial trawler on both the south and west coasts, also a handliner; he worked as technician and skiboat pilot for the National Research Institute for Oceanology; dived perlemoen (abalone) in the Transkei; was collector for the Two Oceans Aquarium, and has been, for over 12 years now, a
Scientific Observer on fishing boats with almost 1400 sea-days on Antarctic trips alone. In addition he has been writing for many years and has contributed underwater articles to several books.
This is his truly amazing story!
“Jerry’s book has reminded me of the good old days. It has brought back great memories and has made me laugh out loud – as I am sure it will to many other divers.” – Tommy Botha (11 times South African spearfishing champion).
“Fisherman, master diver, treasure hunter, spearo competitor, aquanaut and fisheries observer—Jerry has done it all. His vivid, humorous, even outrageous life anecdotes entertain the reader from page one. I find his writing style to be engaging, vivid, precise and simply easy to read.” – Terry Maas (author of Bluewater Hunting and Spearfishing).
“Anyone who has ever dived, fished or surfed the South African coast will instantly recognise the phrase, “You should have been here yesterday”. This rollicking account of a life spent diving, fishing and sailing the seas of South Africa and further abroad is an absolute must-read for any lover of our oceans. Buirski has lived his life to the full, and his yarns make for a great read.” – Tony Weaver (Cape Times)
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If you are looking for a copy of this book, you can buy a print copy from the links below:
This book retails at R250.00 – excluding postage.
Thank you for visiting New Voices xxx
If you are looking for a copy of this book, you can contact the author and order from the links below:
Thank you for visiting New Voices xxx